Comments | methylethyl: Fic: The Stars Might Stick You Where You Stand (5/7)

methylethyl

Fic: The Stars Might Stick You Where You Stand (5/7)

Jun 21, 2012 12:58

Title: The Stars Might Stick You Where You Stand (5/7)
Author: methylethyl
Rating: NC-17 (very light NC-17)
Summary: Following the fall of Torchwood One, Jack Harkness went to ask Torchwood Three for a job. He didn’t expect to fall a little bit in love with its director, the practical and ever-calm Ianto Jones. He also probably didn’t expect that Ianto Jones ( Read more... )

torchwood, the stars

Comments 21

vengeful_owl June 21 2012, 18:41:47 UTC

O my lord. That was really good.....I have an inkling, but I'm not sure but, I think Grey is in Flat Holm - o, poor Jack!
I love that Gwen isn't interested in Jack in your story where as in the series she pines over him. I just love it.
Jack and Ianto's relationship is interesting, but I can't wait for more. Why does your next post have to be tomorrow and not , like, now?!

methylethyl June 21 2012, 19:05:17 UTC

Flat Holm, huh? Mm. We shall see...

As I said in response to your last comment, it cracks me up that Gwen and Jack hate each other. Granted, they teamed up for the fairies, but Jack is just way too Torchwood One right now to ever really get along with her.

I promise, the next post is entirely worth the wait! You'll get a whole hell of a lot of answers, and some awesome character development too. Just hold on!

vengeful_owl June 21 2012, 20:59:59 UTC

I'm holding, I'm holding! XD

(The comment has been removed)

methylethyl June 21 2012, 19:15:36 UTC

Thank you! Only two parts left, now--and I promise we'll start getting some real answers in the next one.

sandysan2013 June 21 2012, 19:09:24 UTC

I wonder, did the fairies take Gray? I thought they only took lonely, unloved or uncared for children. Surely, Ianto would have loved his own child if they fairies were the ones the child skipped off to join. There is definitely more to them than we know.

methylethyl June 21 2012, 19:28:43 UTC

Iiiiinteresting theory. Hm.

I decided to leave most of the story of Ianto's son out of this fic, but as it was more out of pacing/length concerns, I'll give it to you now: Ianto landed in 19th century Cardiff and, after about seven years of waiting, resigned himself to living out the rest of his life in the past. He married and had a son, and grew to love them both. However, a few years after his son was born, Ianto discovered his immortality. He didn't handle it well, withdrawing from his family at first as he tried to find a solution, and then later when he was dealing with everything being immortal meant. That's when the fairies began to take an interest in his son.

So that's the story. Ianto is still wracked with guilt over it, though we won't see much of it in the fic. Thanks for reading and commenting--I promise real answers about Gray tomorrow!

sandysan2013 June 22 2012, 13:18:14 UTC

I did wonder. Thanks for the backstory.

methylethyl June 22 2012, 15:25:47 UTC

You're welcome!

sammydragoncat June 21 2012, 21:34:07 UTC

I love the way you have altered certain plot lines, but still keep the original story. Can't wait for the next part.

methylethyl June 21 2012, 22:03:34 UTC

Thanks! I hope you like how this version of Small Worlds ends--it'll be up tomorrow!

angelsphonebox June 22 2012, 04:29:29 UTC

Omg! Where to start? What a brilliant twist on the fairy story. You've done a completely brilliant job of characterization. This is exactly how Jack would be if he did not have the experiences with the Doctor, or his immortality and all the life lessons he's learned to make him the man we know. He's the reckless Jack with strong emotions but a warped sort of empathy. & I so competely buy that this Jack and Gwen would not see eye to eye or even like each other. I love how Jack finds her physically attractive but can't stand her as a person. & the same for Gwen. I think you've perfectly reversed why the attraction we see on the show exists in the first place. I always felt that for Gwen her attraction to Jack was partly hero worship and the need to "help" someone who is heroic yet tragic at the same time. Without that Jack doesn't have the depth or mystery to attract her. But I love how they can find common interest in the fairy case because they need to rescue a child ( ... )

methylethyl June 22 2012, 15:32:27 UTC

Wow! You really do leave awesome reviews!

I'm pleased to hear that you liked the twist on the fairy story thus far, and Jack's characterization. He's very defensive of the human race, very compassionate and eager to help, but give him an alien... Lol. Not so much. So while Jack and Gwen work great together when it's about humans, Jack can't get past the fact that Gwen can extend her compassion to aliens as well.

I think a lot of Gwen's attraction to Jack in the show is based on the standard "broken bad boy" trope that women fall for. Her compassion naturally attracts her to people that she sees as inherently good, but broken. And while Jack is still broken in this AU, it's not in a way that allows her to recognize him as a good person. And Jack thinks Gwen is an idiot. So nope, no attraction.

The next part should be up in about fifteen minutes, and it has a lot happening. I hope you enjoy it!

angelsphonebox June 23 2012, 01:39:21 UTC

yes! you've hit on the reason exactly!!! That is why Gwen is attracted to Jack. & Gwen has such a need to "fix" and repair, almost to the point that she has blinders on to a bigger picture.
& I do enjoy this version of Jack. In many ways he's the same character as in the original canon, but with the twist that he is not sympathetic to the aliens. He's younger and more reckless, in many ways this is how I pictured him in his Time Agency days.
You have a real knack for characterization and good, gritty writing but with the emotional depth that carries it along. IMHO :D

methylethyl June 23 2012, 03:11:33 UTC

Gwen's a pretty standard character--I could give you half a dozen other Gwens from other shows/books/movies--and that type always go for men who need fixing, even if it's not the healthiest choice of partner for them. This is why I'm eternally glad that Gwen stays with Rhys. He's a much better choice of partner for her, in the end.

Jack is very heavily based on how we saw him in S1 of DW, but with the added xenophobia. The bit where he tries to manipulate his way into Torchwood with bullshit alien weaponry was probably my most obvious nod to that. Oh, Jack.

I'm glad that you like my writing style so much! I'm pretty simple, much more focused on things like dialog and plot rather than prose, so typically my writing style doesn't get much mention. *g*